What is the primary role of a proofreader?

A proofreader can also be referred to as a proof reader, academic proofreader, manuscript proofreader, research paper proofreader, PhD thesis proofreader, or Master thesis proofreader. For academic work like a manuscript, research paper, dissertation or thesis, the final stage right before publication is to send it to a professional proofreader, preferably one who is in the same academic discipline or background as that discussed in the paper. The primary role a proofreader has is to perform a careful, final check on the document and ensure it is free of errors. The proofreader or proof reader takes a careful look at the paper and checks for any spelling mistakes/typographical errors (typos), grammatical mistakes, or punctuation misuse. He or she also makes sure the content is concise and easy to read by the audience. This  is the person who removes the extra white space at the end of a sentence, corrects ‘sientific’ to ‘scientific’, and changes ‘bear’ to ‘bare’. Since this is the final stage before the document is sent to the publisher, careful attention and focus is needed to check the work at a slow pace. This will be the final chance to correct and errors before the document is officially published.

Typically, a skilled proofreader would take the extra time to re-read the text at the paragraph, sentence and word level. The revision process also requires one who can preserve the ideas discussed in the text, as well as the style of the author. This is crucial, as the key task is to ensure the document is error-free, and not to change the style or originality of the author. If any errors beyond the scope of proofreading are encountered, such as a logical, semantic or factual errors in, say, the explanation of certain results, the proofreader would leave a comment and point this out to the author. This way the author would have a chance to correct this before publication.

A proofreader typically uses a word processing software such as Microsoft Word and is familiar with the tracked changes feature to help track the changes made to the original version of the document. With the track changes feature activated, any change made would be tracked. This way the author can view all the changes made to the work, and decide whether to accept or reject each individual change. Comments can also be left on any portion of the text, in order to facilitate an easy collaboration between the proofreader and the original author of the document.

In academic work, the authors of research papers, research proposals, dissertations, or theses are always recommended to hire a skilled proofreader to help with ensuring the document is error-free prior to publication. Some frequently asked questions are: Where can I find a professional proofreader to help check my academic research paper? Which company offers high quality proofreaders to help with my manuscript? There are many different proofreading companies online, and the choice you make depends on the reputation of the company, their prices, and their overall quality. Here at PM Proofreading, we strive to offer the highest quality, quality-assured proofreading service possible. We also aim to maintain efficient delivery times, affordable rates, as well as reliable customer support. Our services are offered to academics, researchers, postgraduate students, and professors. If you are looking to upload your manuscript for proofreading, you can do that by visiting our Inquiry Form to request a same day quotation.